I. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned generally with a staple bone plate of the type which is used to retain dental appliances, namely dentures, in contact with the lower jaw.
II. Description of the Relevant Art
Generally, mandibular staple bone plates are used by denture wearers having dentures that become loose as a result of the loss of supporting bone and tissue. The mandibular staple bone plate is used to anchor the lower denture to the lower jawbone. Present designs utilize a relatively standard size staple bone plate for attachment to the lower surface of the jawbone. The plate has rods or screws which project upwardly into or through the jawbone for securing the plate. The rods, extending into the mouth, are threaded over their entire length. This configuration necessitates that special provision be made to avoid irritation of the gums which contact the threads. At this point, however, the standardization of the apparatus ends, and customized attaching means are required, for each patient, in order to mount the denture on the implanted plate. Typically, bridging means are constructed which connect the staple bone plate rods, which project through the jawbone and into the mouth, with the denture. Due to the customized crafting of each mounting assembly, a great deal of time and expense must be incurred by the patient and the doctor.
The present invention is directed to a mandibular staple bone plate which addresses the shortcomings inherent in the relevant art.